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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper found out a supermarket was selling a new beauty line that seemed comparable to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper hurried to her nearest store to buy the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the high-end 50ml cream.

Its smooth blue tube and gold top of both creams look remarkably comparable. And though she has not used the premium cream, she states she's pleased by the dupe so far.

She has been purchasing lookalike products from high street stores and supermarkets for a long time, and she's in good company.

More than a quarter of UK shoppers say they've tried a skincare or makeup dupe. This rises to nearly half among younger adults, as per a February survey.

Dupes are skincare products that copy bigger name companies and provide budget-friendly options to luxury items. These products often have alike labels and design, but in some cases the ingredients can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Always Better'

Skincare experts argue many alternatives to premium brands are reasonable quality and help make beauty routines less expensive.

"It is not true that costlier is always superior," states consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not every budget beauty label is inferior - and not every luxury skincare product is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are truly amazing," says a podcast host, who runs a program with celebrities.

Numerous of the items based on luxury brands "sell out so fast, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist another professional believes alternatives are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Dupes will be effective," he says. "They will perform the essentials to a satisfactory degree."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can spend less when you're looking for single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be alright in using a budget alternative or a product which is very low cost because there's minimal that can cause issues," she explains.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Container'

But the professionals also recommend shoppers investigate and say that more expensive products are sometimes worthy of the premium price.

Regarding luxury beauty products, you're not just paying for the label and marketing - sometimes the higher price tag also comes from the components and their quality, the potency of the key component, the technology used to develop the item, and trials into the products' performance, the expert notes.

Beauty expert another professional suggests it's worth questioning how some alternatives can be sold so cheaply.

In some cases, she believes they may contain filler ingredients that don't have as numerous positive effects for the skin, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

"One key uncertainty is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she says.

Commentator Scott notes on occasion he's bought beauty products that look comparable to a big-name label but the item has "no connection to the premium version".

"Don't be convinced by the packaging," he cautioned.

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Regarding more complicated items or ones with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not created accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C, Dr Bhate recommends sticking to more specialised brands.

She states these typically have been through expensive studies to determine how effective they are.

Beauty items must be assessed before they can be available in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist another professional.

If the label states about the efficacy of the product, it requires evidence to support it, "however the manufacturer does not necessarily have to do the testing" and can alternatively use studies done by other brands, she clarifies.

Check the Label of the Pack

Are there any ingredients that could signal a item is poor?

Ingredients on the back of the tube are listed by quantity. "Potential irritants that you should be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up